Jenny Shipley on Cera review panel

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Former Prime Minister Jenny Shipley is among several Government appointees being paid $1000 a day to monitor the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (Cera).

The Government announced in April that it was appointing a four person review panel to advise the Government on the authority's use of broad powers to make legislative and regulatory changes.

Official documents published on the No Right Turn website reveal that Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee successfully sought approval from State Services Minister Tony Ryall to inflate the pay of the panel members, because "it will not be possible to secure their services under the current fees range" of $360 to $655 a day for the chair and $270 to $415 for other members.

Chair Sir John Hansen, a former senior High Court judge, gets $1400 a day, while Shipley, Anake Goodall and Murray Sherwin earn $1000 a day.

Labour's earthquake recovery spokesman Clayton Cosgrove said if the pay rates were inadequate they should be reviewed.